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J. J'.WH1TTLB. BICYCLE SUPPORT.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 22, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. WHITTLE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BICYCLE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 601,109, dated March 22,1898. Application filed September 12,1896. Renewed August 26,1897.Serial No. 649,653. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known thatI, JOHN J. WHITTLE, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at the city of New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBicycle- Supports, of which the following is a specification. Y

The nature of the invention consistsin the details of combination andconstruction substantially as illustrated in the accompanying drawingshereinafter described, and subsequently pointed out in the claim.

Figure I is a side View of an ordinary bicycle with my inventionattached. Fig. II is a rear view of the same on a larger scale. Figs.III, IV, V, and VI are detail views more fully hereinafter described.

The great difficulty ordinarily encountered by beginners who at firsttry to ride a bicycly is the tendency they have to fall sidewise. It infact requires a great deal of practice before some persons can ridesafely. To assist these and obviate the diiiiculty my invention has beendevised. y

The saddle of the bicycle is hinged at a, with its free end resting withthe lug a upon the top of the rod b. This rod b slides in a sleeve inthe bridge f. This bridge is fastened to the rear of the bicycle-frame,as illustrated. A helical spring g actuates the rod b. Upon this bridgef are formed two opposite jaws f and f. In these jaws are hinged thesupports llc k. A toggle-joint t' t 7l is also In the middle member t isa hole y adapted to the rod b. The rod b may be clamped by suitableset-screws in the member t of the toggle-joint or in the sleeve of thebridge f, as hereinafter more fully described. The lower ends of thesupports lc lo are provided with rollers b,

as illustrated,the whole device to be substantially as illustrated inthe drawings.

When my invention. is in use, the rod b is free to slip in the sleeve ofthe bridge f, and the resilience of the spring g carries it up againstthe saddle, so that the rear end of the saddle stands higher than thefront end. At the same time the rod b, which is'to be fastened by aset-screw or in some other convenient way in the member t of thetoggle-joint, draws this member of the joint upward, and in so doingcloses the supports la and'k up near to the sides of the bicycle, asillustrated in Fig. I; but when pressure comes upon the saddle, as ofthe rider sitting on it or the like, it slips the rod b downward throughthe sleeve of the bridge f and pushes the member tof the toggle-jointdownward, causing the toggle-joint to open. This spreads the supports kand lo apart from the sides of the bicycle into the position illustratedin Fig. Il. It will then be found that if the machine should be inclinedto fall over sidewise it will be caught by the wheel Zand held up whilestill in motion, and so neither the machine nor the rider will fall. Assoon as the pressure is removed from the saddle the spring g carries therod b upward and all the parts assume their original position.

' If it be desired to retain the supports folded up against the sides ofthe machine, the saddle is iirst pressed downward, so as to carry therod b down as far as it will go. This rod is then clamped fast in thesleeve of the bridge f. The set-screw, which holds the rod b in themember t of the toggle-joint, is then released. The supports are thenfolded up to the sides of the machine, and, lastly, the rod b is againclamped with the set-screw in the toggle-joint. It will now be foundthat the supports will be held iirmly in folded position and that thebicycle can be used in the common and well-known way.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination with a bicycle, a saddle hinged thereon, a bridgefastened to the frame of said bicycle, a rod sliding in a sleeve in saidbridge, a helical spring embracing said rod, and in connection with saidsaddle, actuating said rod, of side supports, substantially asspecified, hinged in said bridge, rollers upon the lower extremities ofsaid supports, and a toggle-joint hinged in said supports, and operatedby said sliding rod to open and close said supports, substantially

